Dispensing closure for containers



y 1959 R. B. PERRY 2,895,631

DISPENSING CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 10. 1957 17 INVENTOR 1330195222 E PERRY ATToRNEYs 2,895,631 nr'srENsnIG crosnns non CONTAINERS Robert B. Perry, Macon, Ga. Application October 10, 1957, Serial No. 689,350 Claims. (Cl. 215-75) This invention relates to closures for containers such, for example, as used for containing liquid such as aftershaving lotion and the like, and has more particular reference to a closure assembly for such containers which permits dispensing the contents of the container without removing the closure therefrom.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved closure assembly for containers which permits dispensing the contents of the container without removing the closure therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved closure assembly, as characterized above, including a cap member adapted to be mounted on the dispensing neck of a container for axial movement thereon and having an orifice aligned with the orifice in the neck of the container; and ball valve means, housed within the cap, for sealing both orifices when a cap is axially moved in one direction on the neck of the container and movable out of sealing engagement with the orifices when the cap is axially moved in the opposite direction on the neck of the container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a closure assembly, as characterized above, wherein magnetic means are employed to hold the ball valve out of engagement with the orifices in the cap member and the neck of the container when the ball valve is released from its sealing engagement with these orifices.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a closure assembly, as characterized above, which is simple and economical in construction and efficient in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the folowing specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a container having a closure assembly, constructed in accordance with the present invention, mounted thereon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. l, and drawn on a larger scale;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but showing the container turned upside down and the cap member partially retracted; and

ttes Patent Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The present invention provides a novel and improved closure assembly, for containers having a non-magnetic neck provided with a dispensing orifice, such, for example, as used for containing liquids such as shaving 10- tion or the like, which permits dispensing the contents of the container without removing the closure therefrom.

In general, the closure assembly comprises a non-magnetic cap member adapted to be mounted on the neck of a container for axial movement thereon and having an orifice aligned With the dispensing orifice in the neck of the container; a magnetized metal ball housed within the cap member and adapted to be seated on and between the orifice in the neck of the container and the orifice in the cap member for sealing both orifices when "ice the cap member is moved downwardly on the neck of the container; and a metal member fixedly secured to the internal wall of the cap member in position to be engaged by the metal ball and held thereagainst by magnetic attraction, out of sealing engagement with both orifices when the cap member has been moved upwardly on the neck of the container to release the ball from its sealing engagement with the orifices in the cap member and the neck of the container.

The invention further contemplates that the metal member, instead of the ball, will be magnetized.

Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated, in Fig. 1, a container 10 having a closure assembly, indicated generally at 11, and constructed in accordance with the present invention, mounted thereon.

The container 10 may be of any suitable shape and made of any suitable material, such as glass or plastic material, the only essential requirement being that the neck portion of the container be non-magnetic. In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated the container is shown as being a glass bottle having a cylindrical neck portion 12 provided with an axial passageway 13 opening into the container and having a dispensing orifice 14 formed on its outer end. The outer end of the neck 12 surrounding the orifice 14 slopes downwardly and inwardly toward the orifice, as indicated at 15, for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

The closure assembly 11 is shown as comprising a hollow open bottom cylindrical cap member 16 provided with a central opening or orifice 17 in its top wall, and a valve'member 18 in the form of a spherical metal ball housed in the cap member.

The cap member 16 may be made of any suitable nonmagnetic material, preferably and as shown, it is made of a non-magnetic plastic material. The ball valve 18 is preferably made of steel and its diameter is greater than the diameter of the orifice in the neck of the container and the cap member, so that while portions of the ball may protrude into these orifices, the ball cannot pass through either of them.

The closure assembly is adapted to be mounted on the neck portion 12 of the container with the ball valve 18 housed in the cap member, and means are provided for axial movement of the cap member on the neck 12.

In the particular embodiment of the invention as illustrated, such means are shown as comprising external threads 19 formed on the neck portion of the container and cooperating internal threads 20 formed on the internal wall of the cap member; the construction and arrangement being such that when the cap member is turned in one direction it will move axially downward on the neck of the container and the ball valve 18 will be seated on and between the orifice 14 formed in the neck portion 12 of the container and the orifice 17 formed in the cap member and will tightly seal both orifices, as shown in Fig. 2. Also, when the cap member is turned to give axial movement upwardly on the neck of the container the ball valve will be released and upon inverting the container, will roll ofi its seat and rest against the side wall of the container, as shown in Fig. 3.

Means are provided for holding the ball valve 18 against the side wall of the cap member after it has been moved out of sealing engagement with the two orifices so that it will not interfere with the How of liquid through the two orifices. In the particular embodiment of the invention, as ilustrated, such means are shown as comprising a metal member 21 fixedly secured on the interior of the side wall of the cap member 16 and positioned between the top of the cap member and the threads 20 formed in the cap member.

The metal member 21 may be of any suitable construction and secured to the interior wall of the cap member 3 in any suitable manner. As shown, the metal member 21 is in the form of a split band and is held against the inside wall of the cap member by resilient outward pressure.

The ball valve member .18 and the metal band member 21 are preferably made of steel and either one or the other is magnetized to become a permanent magnet, so that the movable ball valve will be pulled by magnetic attraction against the band member 21 and held thereagainst out of the way of the liquid being dispensed. When the container is returned to its upright position and the-cap member screwed down on the neck of the container, theball valve will be forced back onto its seat formed by the orifice 14 in the neck portion of the container, its movement being facilitated by the sloping end wall 15 of the neck portion 12.

The operation of the device is believed apparent. The closure assembly normally remains on and is never required to he removed from the container and, normally, the cap member is maintained screwed down on the neck of the container to bring the ball valve into tight sealing engagement with the orifices in the neck of the container and the cap member. When the contents of the container are to be dispensed, the cap member is unscrewed a few turns to loosen the ball valve from its seat, then the container is inverted, the ball valve being held against the bandZl in the cap so as not to interfere with the flow of the liquid through the two orifices. After use, the container is turned to its upright position and the cap screwed down on the neck, thereby forcing the ball valve again into tight sealing engagement with the two orifices.

From the foregoing, it readily will be seen that there has been provided a novel and improved closure assemly for containers which permits dispensing the contents of the container without removing the closure therefrom; a closure assembly which is simple and economical in construction, efficient in operation, and one which may be applied to any suitable type of container.

While the dispensing orifice in the cap member preferably is located in the top wall of the cap member in alignment with the dispensing orifice in the neck of the container, so that the ballvalve will seal both orifices when the cap member is moved downwardly on the neck to close the container, obviously, it may be located in other positions on the cap member, the essential requirement being that the location be such that the orifice would not be closed by the ball valve when held against the metal retaining member carried by the cap member; in such instance, the ball valve would seal only the dispensing orifice in the neck of the container.

Obviously, the invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

What is claimed is:

l. A closure assembly for containers of the type having a neck portion made of non-magnetic material and provided with an orifice through which the contents of the container is dispensed, comprising a hollow cap member adapted to be mounted on the neck of the container for axial movement thereon and having a circular orifice in its top wall centrally positioned so as to be aligned with the orifice in said neck ofsaid containerwhen said cap is mounted thereon, and means carried by said cap member for sealing the orifices in said neck and said cap member including a pair of metal members, one a spherical metal ball freely movable within said cap member, the other a metal retaining member fixedly secured to the internal side wall of said cap member adjacent the top thereof, with at east one of said metal members being magnetized, the construction and arrangement being such that when said closure assembly is mounted on said container and said cap member is axially moved in a direction to close said container, said ball will be seated on and between said orifices in said neck and said cap member and tightly seal both orifices, and when said cap member is axially moved on said neck portion in the direction to open said container, said ball will be released and when said container is tilted will be pulled to and held against said metal retaining member by magnetic attraction, thereby permitting the contents of said container to be dispensed through said orifices.

2. The combination with a container having a neck portion made of non-magnetic material and provided with adispensingorifice, of a closure assembly therefor comprising ahollow cap member mounted on said neck portion foraxial movement-thereon and having a centrally positioned circular dispensing orifice formed therein said circular dispensing orifice being in axial alinement with said dispensing orifice in said neck portion, and sealing means carried by said cap member for sealing the orifice in said cap member and in said neck portion including a pair of metallic members mounted within said cap member, one a spherical metal ball freely movable within said cap member and the other a metal retaining member fixedly secured to the internal side wall of said cap member adjacent the top thereof, with at least one of said metal members being magnetized, the construction and arrangement being such that when said cap member is axially moved in a direction to close said container,

.said ball will be seated on and seal said orifice in said neck, portion and when said cap member is axially moved on said neck portion in the direction to open said container, said ball will be released, and when said conta'iner is tilted will be pulled to and held against said metal retaining member by magnetic attraction, thereby permitting the contents of said container to be dispensed through the orifices in said neck portion and said cap member.

3. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the outer end wall of said neck portion surrounding the orifice therein slopes downwardly and inwardly toward the ori- -fice to facilitate the movement of said ball into the orifice when said cap member is axially moved on said neck portion in a direction to close said container.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the neck portion of said container is provided with external screw threads and said cap member is provided with cooperating internal screw threads.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said metal retaining member is in the form of a metal band resiliently-held against the internal wall of the cap member adjacent the top 'wall thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

